The Other Potter
by RainbowVeins1612
Summary: Juliette Potter is Harry Potter's twin sister, they are two halves of a whole - or at least the used to be. When Juliette was sorted into Slytherin a rift began to form. A rift that keeps getting bigger and now Juliette may have just befriended her brothers school nemesis, Draco Malfoy.
1. Slytherins Don't Cry

"Oh go back to the dungeons, Juliette." Harry scowled at me, we'd been shouting at one another for about ten minutes now. As siblings we'd squabbled a few times growing up but recently the arguments had been getting longer and more frequent. I'm not even sure what we were fighting over this time or even who started it but most of our fights ended with him telling me to go back to the dungeons. He hated that I was a Slytherin.

As children we'd been quite close, we only had each other really but coming to Hogwarts had forced a rift between us that increased in size every day. I shrugged my bag higher onto my shoulder and with one last angry glare at my brother I stormed off back to the dungeons as I'd been told. I wasn't upset about our fight but the frustration of it caused tears to form in my eyes, tears I blinked away as I made my way into the cold darkness of the dungeons and back into the fire lit Slytherin common room.

I sighed to myself, the common room was empty, everyone was at dinner I supposed. I didn't feel all that hungry after my fight with Harry. I wiped a stray tear from my cheek as I stood illuminated by the flickering flames of the of the fire in the ornate silver fireplace, the only light in the room.

"Well Princess, you look like you've had better days." The voice startled me and I turned to see the all too familiar smirk of Draco Malfoy. He was stretched out on the sofa behind me, laid so low that I hadn't even noticed him as I entered the common room, a book open in his hands. He'd called me Princess since we'd first met, he didn't use it as a compliment though. He often scoffed about the way people treated me as if I were royalty, as if I walked on golden pathways. Harry once said he did it simply because he was too stupid to call us both Potter, lest he get confused.

"Oh shove off, Malfoy." I said dropping myself heavily into an armchair, my bag falling from my shoulder to the floor with a thud. "Shouldn't you be at dinner with your goons?"

Malfoy pulled himself up, folding the corner of his page to mark his spot and placing it gently beside himself. "Occasionally I require the company of someone more intelligent than Crabbe and Goyle."

We were alone in the common room and as far as I could tell no one else had been here for a little while, "Who pray tell do you deem worthy of such fine company?" I asked sarcastically and he narrowed his eyes at me.

"Myself of course," He replied as if it weren't the most ridiculous thing.

"So you weren't looking for much more intelligence in your solitude then." I replied, using my hand to flatten down the fringe that covered the scar on my forehead, Harry and I were quite identical even down to the lightning shaped scars on our foreheads, though mine was always hidden by my hair.

"Yes, well I wouldn't expect you to know anything about intelligence, Princess." Malfoy replied, "You get by on being adored as a savior." I could have punched him but that would have involved getting up and I was dreadfully tired.

"As opposed to you having your daddy, buy your way through life." I retorted.

"At least I have a father."

A silence fell between us, I knew Draco Malfoy was a rotten piece of work but I hadn't realized truly how rotten he was. I don't know why I started crying, I wasn't really the type of girl who cried over every little thing but I guess I had a lot of pent up frustration and other emotions that they decided to manifest as tears and to make it worse, Draco Malfoy was watching me cry. He watched me, wide-eyed, like he couldn't quite believe that I was actually crying.

A moment later he stood in front of me, his hand outstretched offering me a handkerchief. "Slytherins don't cry, Princess, not when other people can see." He told me and for once Princess, did not sound like an insult. I took his offered handkerchief - a fancy letter 'D' was embroidered in green in one corner – and used it to dry my eyes as I told him to shut up.

Once my tears had stopped and I'd told Malfoy several times that I would hex him into oblivion if he ever told anyone he'd seen me cry - and corrected him when he suggested he'd made me cry – Malfoy and I sat in a not quite comfortable silence, he'd somehow found himself sat on the floor in front of me instead of on the sofa as he had been before. We both stared at the floor. He looked up at me a moment later and opened his mouth to speak but right then the common room entrance opened and a stream of students flooded in, headed by Pansy Parkinson a somewhat drippy girl with a proudly unhidden crush on Malfoy.

"What's going on here then?" She asked as Malfoy scrambled to his feet. I rolled my eyes and hoisted myself out of my chair.

"I'm going to bed." I mumbled and made my way to the girls dorm room.

* * *

 _AN: uuhhhh I hate first chapters so much._


	2. With my Friend

I made my way down to breakfast early the next morning, Slytherins were like a wolf pack and you couldn't just sit next to whoever you wanted so I liked to get there first and sit wherever I liked forcing the others to have to filter in around me. Breakfast wouldn't even be served for another half hour so I took out my the essay I was writing for my Potions homework.

Slowly the Great Hall began to fill with half-asleep and yawning students all chattering about their schoolwork or the latest piece of gossip to float around the halls or other trivial subjects that wouldn't mean much to anyone by next week. Breakfast is quite possibly my favourite time of the day, I thought to myself as I folded up my essay and slipped it back into my bag just as Draco Malfoy dropped heavily onto the bench beside me.

"Can I help you with something?" I asked, my tone daring him to mention anything about me crying.

"If I'm not mistaken Princess, you still have my handkerchief?" His voice was light, as if we often talked over breakfast like long time friends. I checked the pocket of my robes and sighed as I remembered I'd emptied my pockets into the drawers on the table beside my bed.

"It's upstairs," I told him, food began to appear out of no where on the long tables before us and I began helping myself to whatever I fancied – pancakes with butter and syrup and more bacon than most people would even think of eating in one sitting – "I'll return it to you at dinner?" I suggested, potions was my class before dinner so I could return to my dormitory and retrieve it before heading up to eat.

Malfoy had no time to decide whether this plan satisfied him though as from across the hall I heard my brother yell, "Get away from my sister!" And before I could even blink Harry had made his way across the hall and stood across the table from us with his wand out and ready to hex and curse Malfoy should he deem it necessary. Harry were so headstrong and brash, he stood glaring at Malfoy who had risen back to his feet and simply stared back wearing his signature smirk. I wanted to bang the pair of their heads together.

"Ettie, why don't you come sit with us for breakfast?" Harry said casting a quick glance over his shoulder to where his friends sit at the Gryffindor table, Hermione looked particularly worried about the situation and Ronald looked ready to jump in and help should a fight ensue. I rolled my eyes and continued to slice into my pancakes.

"I'm quite happy sitting here thank you Harry," I told him, I ate a small bit of my breakfast before continuing, "With my friend." I reached up and tugged Malfoy's arm, pulling him firmly back into his seat. Malfoy looked at me for a moment like I'd lost my mind but I raised my eyebrows at in hopes he'd play along. The entire hall of people had stopped their conversations to watch the spectacle play out. Thankfully Malfoy decide to play my game with me..

"Yeah Potter, why don't you run along back to your little group of blood traitors and mud-." Malfoy began but I gave him a swift kick under the table, not hard enough to really hurt him just enough to let him know he could shut up. Harry looked more angry than I'd ever seen him look and he was about to speak when the looming shadow of Professor Snape fell upon him.

"Is there a problem, Mr Potter?" The potions master drawled and Harry shook his head and told him there wasn't. "Then might I suggest you go and sit down and let Mr Malfoy and Miss Potter eat their breakfast in peace." Reluctantly, Harry plodded back to his own table and practically threw himself into his seat. Professor Snape watched him all the way before turning back to myself and Malfoy. "And I suggest you learn to keep your brother," Snape spat the word as if it were poison in his mouth, "in check from now on, Miss Potter."

"Yes, Sir." I replied and the potions master left with a swish of his long dark robes and without another word. I sighed a breath of relief but I wasn't out of the firing line quite yet.

"What did you kick me for?" Malfoy snapped as he rubbed his leg. I'd had quite enough of being yelled at this morning, the day had barely even started and already it was shaping up to be quite unpleasant. I shift slightly so that I could look him directly in the eye.

"If you ever," I began, my voice low but firm, "ever, attempt to say that horrible word in front of me again, I swear when they find you, you'll be scattered on the floor in pieces." Malfoy visibly gulped and I turned back to my breakfast, cutting off another piece of my pancakes. Malfoy was looking at me like a wounded dog and across the hall my brother was looking at me like I'd personally murdered our parents and to top it all off Pansy freaking Parkinson was shooting dagger eyes at me from the other end of the table for sitting next to a guy who doesn't even like her. Today really was shaping up to be a great day and breakfast wasn't even over.

"Malfoy, please stop looking at me like that, I barely even kicked you." I wasn't sorry about kicking him though and I certainly wouldn't be apologising for it. "Start acting like we're really good friends, I know you love nothing more than pissing off my brother." And there it was, the signature smirk back where it belonged on Draco Malfoy's lips.

* * *

 _ **AN:** Yay for me not abandoning a fic after only the first chapter. Gold stars for me. Hope you're liking it, I find I kinda just ramble on for a while and hope its okay, oh well. Leave me a review maybe? **~RainbowVeins**_


	3. Like A Venomous Snake

Malfoy and I had been eating meals together for the last two weeks, and sitting next to one another in classes that we shared with Gryffindors and sometimes even classes we didn't share with them – to keep up appearances, Malfoy said. I think in truth we'd somehow gone from pretending to be friends because it angered my brother to actually being friends because neither of us was truly as rotten as the other one thought.

We sat together in potions one afternoon, laughing at something particularly stupid that Crabbe had said, not in a mean way though more in a 'sometimes we can't believe the things you come up with' sort of way when Harry came towards us and our little group went quiet. He was doing his best to look pleasant and spoke with a forced calm when he asked, "Ettie, can you sit with us at dinner?" I looked at him for a moment, thinking I should be stubborn and refuse but he looked to be trying so hard not to yell at anyone.

"Sure, Harry." I said with a nod and a small smile. Harry offered an attempt at a smile himself and nodded back before wandering back to his own desk and his own friends. I waited a moment for someone to offer a comment, for someone to make a joke about me being 'half a chosen one' but no such comment came instead Malfoy asked,

"Why does he call you Ettie?" It was a strange question really, in all the time we'd spent together over the last couple of weeks we hadn't really bothered to ask personal questions, in truth he still called me Princess and I still called him whatever insult suited at the time or Malfoy which was sometimes insult enough if I said it the right way.

"Well, my names Juliette." I replied and he looked at me a blankly, "Juliette?" I repeated, "Ette? Ettie." I concluded as if it made perfect sense but Malfoy wasn't buying it.

"I don't know," I snapped a little out of frustration, "It's just a stupid nickname from when we were kids. Does it really matter?"

Malfoy shook his head, "Not at all, Princess." He seemed a little put out by my sudden snappy tone and he even turned away from me a little which was annoying since it meant I couldn't copy his Potions notes like I had been since we started playing at friends. I leaned towards him so I could see over his shoulder – he was at least a head taller than me and I was practically resting on his shoulder - but the stupid boy covered his writing with his perfectly manicured fingers. "Can't you do your own work for a change?" He asked and if I didn't know any better I'd have guessed he was suddenly in a mood with me.

"I could," I replied, "But your notes always make more sense to me later than my own do."

"Perhaps that's because you're stupid?" Malfoy suggested

"Well perhaps you're just upset because once I'm back on good terms with Harry, I won't want anything more to do with you." Even as I said it I knew it was a lie, I barely knew Draco Malfoy really and I wondered how many people actually did know the real him, for some reason I wanted to be one of those people. I'd obviously struck a nerve with this comment though as instead of coming up with a witty retort, Malfoy picked up his things and moved to another desk – next to Pansy Parkinson of all people! - I face forward to make a comment to Crabbe and Goyle who sat at the desk in front of mine but they had turned back in their seats so our little group had dwindled down to just me, alone. Sometimes I think I'm like venomous snake, people don't stick around too long in case they get bitten.

* * *

I didn't speak to Malfoy at all for the rest of that day and as dinner came around I was quite looking forward to maybe having a civilised conversation with my brother – until we started fighting again since that was inevitable. I saw Harry sat with his friends at the Gryffindor table as soon as I entered the hall and didn't hesitate to put a smile on my face and make my way towards them. My pace slowed however when I overheard a snippet of their conversation.

"…But she's intolerable Harry, you fight all the time." Hermione Grange said, she sat across from Harry and next to Ronald Weasley who seemed to be agreeing with her. "Do you really think its wise..." She trailed off as I took my last step towards them. "Juliette." She said instead, she said it as a greeting but I felt it was more to announce my presence as she placed a too wide smile on her lips and was probably hoping I hadn't overheard their conversation which was so plainly about me. Harry looked up and offered me a more genuine smile, I slotted myself in at the table beside him and a Gryffindor whose name I didn't know nor feel the need to learn and began helping myself to food.

"So," I said breaking the bubble of silence that had formed around us. "What can do for you?" I asked, getting straight to the point, Harry only ever ended a fight first when he wanted something.

"Ettie, you're my sister. More than that you're my twin sister." He began, "I'm not sure what we're even fighting about but there are more pressing matters than our fight." I placed my fork down on the table and turned slightly to face him so he knew he had as much as my attention as I was willing to give. "Voldemort. He's back." He said it like I didn't already know, it may have just been him who got dragged into that ridiculous competition last year and actually faced the man who murdered our parents but I was there for him every step of the way and for every day after and he treated me like I didn't know the devastation Voldemort could cause.

He sometimes seemed to forget that my parents died that night too.

"I know that, I've never denied that you've been telling the truth." I told him and he nodded, his smile now more condescending than genuine, like I was a child he had to explain things very simply too.

"Yes, I know and sometimes I forget to thank you for that, for supporting me when I know you don't always agree with me." He didn't meet my eye then and good thing too since I wasn't exactly looking at him in the nicest way. "We've started a group," He told me "To learn Defence against the dark arts, properly since Umbridge isn't teaching us at all." I should have known he wanted to rope me in on some ridiculous scheme he'd come up with.

"I want no part of this, Harry." I told him firmly and he asked me to listen to him, just for a minute so I did.

"We need to be ready to defend ourselves, Ettie." He told me, "You're brilliant at spells, believe it or not there are spells even I can't manage." A small smile came to my lips as he attempted to make a joke, but it was true we were mostly even in our magical abilities but I was much better at protective spells and enchantments. "I need you to help me teach them, Ettie."

He looked so sincere and his friends watched us expectantly, Hermione with her ever-present superior expression and Ronald who looked mostly bewildered.

"I'll help you." I told him and a grin spread across his face, a smile almost identical to my own, sometimes I forgot how similar we looked, though my eyes were slightly bigger, my eyelashes longer and darker. "But I doubt I'll be a very god teacher." I concluded.

Harry continued to smile at me, "You'll be great." He assured me, "There is one other thing though," He added, his smile faltering.

"And that is?" I inquired.

"You need to stop being friends with Malfoy." Harry practically spat his name. It should have been easy for me to agree, Malfoy was just a pawn in a game I was playing, he wasn't important and he could be downright unpleasant to be around sometimes but if I was helping others to better their selves, I could help him too, couldn't I?

"No." I said firmly, "I'll help you with your silly little club but who I choose to be friends with is none of your business." Harry narrowed his eyes at me and I saw Hermione and Ron glance at each other and sigh. They thought we were going to fight again, well I'd show them I was better than that and I wouldn't start a fight, not this time. I would not argue my point, I would make my point and not engage in further conversation on the matter. Harry opened his mouth the speak but I held my hand up to him, silencing whatever his argument was going to be and turn back to my dinner.

* * *

 _ **AN:** What a time to be alive, I've actually managed to post a third chapter. Hope I didn't ramble too much and that you at least somewhat enjoyed it, it will get better, I promise - Or at least I hope so! - Please review if you can, I like to know what my readers are thinking **~RainbowVeins**_


	4. Call Me Juliette

I finished my meal quickly and said goodbye to my brother and his friends, Harry didn't even question me leaving dinner early, he was probably upset with me for not doing as I was told and abandoning my friendship with Malfoy. Thinking of Malfoy, I hadn't see him at dinner – yes I had been checking every green tied pupil that entered the hall – I knew where he would be, stretched out on a sofa in an empty common room with a book, next to a roaring fire.

Thinking of my brother's request and of how I was supposed to teach students who were probably more capable than myself, I made my way down into the cold gloom of the dungeons.

Malfoy was exactly where I'd thought he would be, in fact his position was almost perfectly the same as how I'd imagined it. He didn't acknowledge me as I strode towards the sofa, but he did pull his feet in to give me room to sit down. His sock clad feet were icy cold where they now rest against my thigh but I didn't mind.

"Are you back on good terms with Potter then, Princess?" He asked without looking up from his book. I slipped off my shoes and brought my legs up onto the sofa, tucking my feet between the cushion and the armrest.

"For now I suppose." I agreed, I'd watched Malfoy read to himself more than a few times and could tell that even though he was staring at the words on his page, he was in fact not reading them, his face was emotionless but from what I had seen, when Malfoy read almost every word sent an emotion skidding across his face.

"You needn't have come all this way to formally end our friendship." He replied, flicking his unread page rather loudly to express how little he cared about the subject.

"Oh please will you stop being such an arse?" I said, "You're making it very difficult for me to continue wanting to be your friend." I let it hang in the air for a second before adding, "Even if it is only to annoy my brother." Malfoy closed his book slightly and looked at me, the slightest of smiles turning up the corner of his lips.

"Oh yeah?" He replied, "Well I'd hate to think I'd let down the art of annoying The Boy Who Lived." I chuckled a little at that, it was always the boy who lived, or the twins that lived, no one ever thought of me separately as the girl who lived.

"Did you enjoy sitting with Pansy this afternoon?" I enquired, changing the subject.

"That girl is a leech, she drains me." He said a look of exasperation on his face, I laughed.

"But she's sooo in love with you, Draco." I said doing my worst attempt at mimicking Pansy's voice. Malfoy sat up as if I'd just burnt his feet where they rest against me.

"You just called me Draco." He said like it was the biggest event to happen all year.

"So?" I replied, I could feel my cheeks getting warm which was ridiculous, "It's no big deal, it's just your name."

"Well, you've just never said it before. That's all." Malfoy replied and I suppose he was right, even in my own thoughts I referred to him as Malfoy, never Draco. "It would be like me calling you Juliette,"

"Well why don't you?" I asked,

"Why don't I what?" He replied, we had both made our way to the edge of the sofa, his book now lay fully closed on the coffee table and we stared intently at one another.

"Call me Juliette?" I suggested.

We sat in silence for what felt like hours but was perhaps only a few, long seconds be fired Draco's familiar smirk was back on his lips, "Maybe," He replied, settling himself back into the comfort of the sofa cushions, "Maybe, Princess."

I rolled my eyes at him and passed him back his book from the coffee table. "Read to me?" Flicking the book open to a random page. Draco looked at me curiously but didn't question it as he began reading aloud. I sank down a little in the sofa cushions as I rested my back against his arm and listened to him read. Eventually his arm must have grown uncomfortable as he pulled it out from behind me so I sunk further and rested against his side, his arm now resting gently over my shoulder and we stayed that way for an hour or so, until we heard students coming through the entrance upon which we pulled away from each other quickly, an instant cold ran over me, Draco wasn't a warm person by any means but somehow I didn't ever feel cold when I was next to him and I was freezing when he moved away.

Most of the students didn't bat an eyelid to us as the streamed in, chatting to one another, filling the room with noise. Pansy on the other hand stride in with a scrunched up face, like she could smell something bad. She parked herself in the gap on the sofa left between Draco and I and began gushing about how she'd missed Draco at dinner.

I didn't like Pansy Parkinson but I knew well enough not to get on her bad side, she was a bully and a very good bully at that. She wasn't someone you wanted as an enemy but she certainly wasn't someone I wanted as an ally.

"I'm going to bed," I announced and rose from the sofa to make my way to the girls dormitory, "Goodnight, Draco." I added as I passed him.

"Good night, Juliette." Draco replied, and I stopped walking for a moment and smiled before continuing up to bed.

* * *

 **AN:** _I have literally no idea what I'm really doing of it I'm doing it very well but thank you for taking the time to read this rambling nonsense that flows out of my head 3 **~RainbowVeins**_


	5. How to Tie my Shoes

"I don't know what I'm supposed to teach them." I told Harry nervously as I clutched my larch wood wand between my fingers. The room of requirement was beginning to fill with people and not a single student was a Slytherin. I felt more out of place than I usually did.

"You'll be fine," Harry said, "Remember when we were younger and I couldn't tie my shoelaces and you taught me how to do it?" He asked and I nodded, "Well just pretend this is the same, you're just teaching me how to tie my shoes." He placed a hand on my shoulder reassuringly, but I didn't feel reassured at all.

"Everyone's here, Harry." Hermione said as she approached, Ron in tow. Harry gave my shoulder a gently squeeze, a last little 'you can do this' gesture before he approached the gathered group.

Not everyone was pleased to see me but Harry stood up for me, told anyone that had a problem with me, had a problem with him and should just leave. No one left.

I gulped back the lump that had formed in my throat and stepped forward, "Well," I began "Right, um… Harry asked me here to help teach you about protective spells, some guess we'll start at the beginning?" My eyes dashed to look at Harry and he smiled warmly. Taking a deep breath I showed them how to cast Protego, it was quite astonishing how many people didn't know how to cast a simple shield charm. In fact Harry hadn't learnt to cast one until last year for the Tri-wizard Tournament and then he'd only learnt it because I suggested it may be helpful.

I had taken to leaning protective spells when I first arrived at Hogwarts, I taught myself mostly but occasionally went to Professor Mcgonagall if I was having difficulty with anything. Protective spells were my obsession.

"This spell protects you from any spell except the killing curse," I explained, "There will be times when you can't just fight back. You need to learn how to fight and protect at the same time." By the time the hour we had was coming to an end most people were getting it and couple were actually pretty good at it, the shield charm wasn't a simple spell and I didn't expect many of them to even take notice but it was good to see them actually wanting to learn.

"Did I do alright?" I asked Harry as the students began to chatter and leave for their normal day to day lives.

"You did great!" Harry beamed, "I know I said you only had to come to teach once a week but You should come to all the meetings, to learn how to defend yourself." I began to protest but he spoke again, "A war is coming," he told me, "I don't want you to be unprepared, I don't want to lose you too."

I didn't know how to reply to that, I didn't want to lose him either but it often seemed like he went looking for the fight and losing him would be inevitable. My brother was brave, too brave really and I was not, I was scared. I was scared in first year when Harry ended up in hospital because a teacher I had trusted turned out to be harbouring Voldemort on the back of his head. I was scared in second year when Hermione was petrified and Harry turned to me for help, the Chamber of Secrets is a place that I still wander in my nightmares. I'm scared now because Harry prepares for a war that I don't want to fight.

"I'm going to find Draco." I said and headed for the door, "I'm going to sit with you at dinner, we can talk about it then." I didn't wait for a reply as I let the door to the room of requirement close behind me.

* * *

"I joined the Inquisitorial Squad," Draco said, flashing me his new silver badge. I'd found him in the library along with the confused looking duo of Crabbe and Goyle, apparently Draco had be trying to help them with an essay for charms but neither seemed to be grasping the concept. He shooed them off not long after I arrived.

"Why would you join anything that woman is in charge of?" I inquired taking the seat beside him, dumping my bag heavily to the floor.

Draco frowned at me and shrugged, "I thought it was a good thing to be enforcing rules, like prefects but better."

"I'm all for enforcing the rules but any rules made by that frog-faced beast of a woman are ridiculous." I retorted, "In fact me being sat this close to you breaks one of her rules so are you going to report me?" I was snapping a little, I don't know why – perhaps a little of Harry had rubbed off on me in the last hour and I was feeling a little brave and able to stand up against something, even if it was just against Umbridge's silly rules.

"Well I guess I don't mind you breaking that rule." Draco replied, shuffling the papers in front of him into a neater pile. My face instantly warmed.

"Oh shove off, Malfoy." I said but there was no force behind it, I wanted to slap his stupid little smirk off his face, maybe.

"Umbridge thinks Potter is up to something," Draco added, "Something big and with a lot of students. You know how I like to derail your brothers plans." He shoved the papers inside a book and placed that into his bag.

"Oh is he?" I asked, I didn't like lying but I didn't want Harry to get into trouble, or myself for that matter since I was now involved. "Well he always is I suppose." I concluded, shrugging the subject off. "So who else is part of Umbridge's team of minions?" I asked and Draco seemed satisfied with this quick change in subject as he began to list the members of the Inquisitorial Squad.

* * *

 **AN:** _I have a vaugue idea of where I'm heading with this story but little to no idea of how to get there so I'm basically making it up as I go a long, sorry if it feels like I just jump around a lot 3 **~RainbowVeins**_


	6. The Real Him

"I don't want to choose between you!" I snapped at Harry, we were fighting again, I'd been going to every D.A meeting liked he'd asked me too for the last two months and it had been fine but Draco and the Inquisitorial squad – along with the caretaker, Filtch – had been getting ever closer to discovering us and Harry blamed it on my closeness with Draco, though I assured him I'd never said a word. Now he was making me pick between my love for him as a brother and whatever feelings I had began to uncover in my friendship with Draco.

"Why do you insist on being friends with him?" Harry yelled back at me, "He's a vile, arrogant pig!"

"You don't know him like I do," I replied, "You don't know anything about the real him!"

Harry rolled his eyes at me, "The real him?" He asked in disbelief, "Ettie there is no real him, there's nothing but filth behind an exterior of misguided superiority! You're just too dumb to see it!"

"Shut up!" I yelled back, I could feel tears forming in my eyes and I pleaded with myself not to let them fall, hearing Draco's words from all those months ago in my head, Slytherins don't cry, not when others can see. "I don't want to pick between you, but you make it very hard for me to ever want to pick you." I stopped shouting, it didn't make him listen any better anyway, "You belittle me and treat me like I'm incapable of thinking for myself, Draco is nice to me." I sighed, "He listens when I talk, asks me how I am, he makes me feel like a person while you make me feel like…" I didn't know how to finish, the problem was he didn't make me feel anything, he made me feel like I couldn't feel at all.

"Ettie," Harry started but seemed to struggle to find the right words to carry on, we watched each other in silence for a few moments and when he still didn't speak, I left.

* * *

I found Draco with a group of his friends in the great hall, I must have looked a state because he didn't even hesitate after one look at me to take my hand and lead me out of the hall and into an empty classroom. "What's Potter said now?" He demanded as he roughly wiped a fallen tear off my cheek. I shook my head in reply and instead of forcing an answer out of me, Draco wrapped me in his arms and held me close, muttering about how he would curse my brother for making me cry.

"I'm sorry," I said as I pulled myself away from the comfort of his embrace.

"Whatever are you sorry for?" He asked

"For crying in front of you, I know Slytherins aren't supposed to cry in front of other people." I replied, wiping my eyes with the sleeve of my cardigan.

"I'm not other people," Draco retorted as if he couldn't quite believe I was apologising, "I'm one person you can cry in front of whenever you like, Princess." He spoke gently, and hooked his finger under my chin, tilting it up so I was looking at him, "You never have to hide from me, not a single thing." I felt guilty then, I was hiding more than he could guess, I was hiding the D.A meetings, I was hiding my more than friendship feelings for him and I was hiding my fear that Harry was right, that I didn't really know who Draco was, that I was blind to the awful person he could be. I was hiding and afraid.

"I'm afraid," I whispered, "I'm afraid that Harry is right." I said a little louder, turning away from him. Midday light was streaming in from the Classroom Windows and through them I could see bare trees blowing in the winters wind.

"Right about what?" Draco inquired as I headed towards the window and he followed me. I looked out at the world beyond, it would usually have snowed by now and I suspected it would fall over the next couple of days. I could feel Draco's strange coldness that was warm stood closely behind me.

"You," I replied and he stiffened slightly. "I don't want to believe him but you're like two different people, with me you're so lovely and kind and yet you treat others like they're nothing, like you're better because your blood is pure, you use terrible words to hurt people because of the families they're born to and sometimes I doubt that the person you are with me is even real." It felt good to tell him some truth even if I was scared of what his reaction would be.

"It confuses me," he replied and I turned round to face him, he'd been stood closer than I'd thought and he took a step back so as not to be pressed against me. "I've grown up being taught that anyone who consorts with muggles is lower, they're not worth the air they breathe but you teach me that they're not, that they're on par with us and I'm trying to unscramble the truth from everything. I want to be a good person." Draco said, "I want to be the kind of person you feel safe around, I just haven't quite figured everything out yet."

The silence between us was a little uneasy as I took this in, but after a moment I smiled and closed the gap between us, standing on my toes and wrapping my arms around his shoulders. "That's all I needed to hear, that you're trying." He stood ridged for a second before his arms curled around my waist and he held me tightly.

* * *

 _ **AN:** Thought I'd try and put in some more Draco/OC moments since that's what this is supposed to be really, so expect more of them in future chapters if you decide this isn't utter codswallop and stop reading right here in which case, thanks for trying - Goodbye! 3 **~RainbowVeins** _


	7. Chapter 7

Christmas rolled around faster than I would have liked, I usually spent Christmas at the castle while Harry went home to the Weasley's but this year was different, Harry had started to have nightmares, it wasn't the first time this had happened but this one was particularly bad as it involved Arthur Weasley being attacked.

The Weasley family – along with harry and Hermione – had been pulled out of school to go and see him in the hospital. Harry refused to let me stay at the castle for Christmas, insisting that I join him and everyone else at Grimmauld Place, the house owned by our Godfather, Sirius.

I'd complained to Draco for the last day or so about being ordered around like a house elf. He'd told me to shut up as my complaining was getting on his nerves. Our goodbye hadn't been sweet, in fact if had been quite cold, Draco said he'd write to me if he found the time and I told him not to bother – I wouldn't be able to receive the letters anyway since Grimmauld Place was a secret headquarters – we said goodbye and I got off the train. No hugs, no fuss, nothing – I suspected Draco wasn't looking forward to going home, I can't imagine the holidays were good when spending time with someone like his father.

I spent most of the holidays in my room on the top floor of Grimmauld Place - it had once been the room of Sirius's brother Regulus and was decked out in Slytherin colours, I suppose they thought I'd have liked that. No one bothered me, except Harry who told me it was only polite that I come down and enjoy the dinner that Mrs Weasley had prepared on Christmas day. I felt out of place, even more so when Mrs Weasley placed a small, neatly wrapped gift on the table beside my plate. Everyone else had opened their gifts and were wearing them proudly – Except Ronald who thought his was ghastly - I decided to save mine and open it later.

Sirius came in and he and Harry hugged tightly. I didn't make a move to greet him but he ruffled the top of my hair, causing my fringe to have to be smoothed down over my scar again.

I excused myself not long after dinner had been eaten, taking Mrs Weasley's gift and heading upstairs. I had been heading for my room but I detoured into the room with the family tree spread along the walls. I liked this room, being able to make connections between different people had caught my interest when I'd been brought here at the beginning of the year.

I took a seat, cross-legged on the bare wooden floor and began to carefully unwrap the paper on the present Mrs Weasley had given me. Neatly folded inside the paper was a knitted scarf in grey and green stripes with thin tassels at either end. I wrapped it loosely round my neck, smiling to myself as I did.

"Molly spent hours knitting that for you when she heard you were joining us for Christmas." A voice from the door startled me and I looked round to see Sirius leaning against the door frame. "She hated the idea of you feeling unwelcome." He added coming into the room and dropping to sit beside me on the floor.

"You're never unwelcome here, Juliette." He carried on, "You probably hear this all the time but you look so much like your father, except your eyes-."

I cut him off before he could finish, I'd heard people say that Harry plenty of times. "I only ever get told I look just like Harry." I stood up, screwing the now empty paper into a ball. "Everything I do gets compared to the boy who lived, I'm just a copy." I could feel myself getting angry, "A spare part being told what to do and how to act!" Sirius was on his feet again and trying to rest a hand on my shoulder in comfort but I swatted him away. "I'm not Harry! I'm not brave or selfless. I'm not anybody's favourite Potter and I don't mind that much, I just wish people would see me as a person not as error in the Potter family tree!"

"Juliette," Another voice from the doorway, this one belonging to the golden boy himself, he looked upset and I wondered how much he'd heard me say. "Juliette, you're not an error in the family tree." He said shaking his head, "You're my sister and I love you."

"Then when did you just dump me?" I asked, "As soon as I was sorted into the Slytherin you just dumped me for your new friends." Harry looked down at the floor, he didn't try to deny it or defend himself and Sirius simple watched us, unsure of how best to fix the situation. "I needed you." I told him, "And you were too busy being the boy who lived to notice that." I wanted him to say something, shout at me and tell me I was being ridiculous or apologise, I didn't care which, "Before this year I didn't have any friends and yours didn't want anything to do with me and when someone finally took notice of me you spend all your time telling me he isn't worthy of being my friend?" I turned my back on him, "Well, you're not worthy of being my brother."

"Juliette!" Both Harry and Sirius called after me as I stormed out of the door, pushing past Ron and Hermione who waited outside like obedient shadows. I locked myself in my room.

* * *

The scarf Mrs Weasley had knitted for me was wrapped and knotted around my neck as I made my way down to the dungeons, I was avoiding Harry and the best way to do that was to stay in the Slytherin common room as much as possible which was fine as I had plenty of studying to do. I discarded my cloak in the girls dormitory but kept the scarf around my neck, having grown quite fond of it before heading back into the common room and spreading my transfiguration notes out on the coffee table.

I saw Draco come in and sit behind me on the sofa I leant against from the floor but I didn't lift my head from my studying to acknowledge him.

"Are you ignoring me, Princess?" He asked, stretching his feet out on the cushions and folding his hands behind his head.

"Yes." I replied and scribbled down some extra notes on hand movements. I wasn't really ignoring him, I'd just simply been busy but I knew it would bug him to think I was and I found that highly amusing.

"Well stop it." He told me but I didn't acknowledge he'd said anything at all. "Juliette, why are you ignoring me?" I stuck to my silence and he gently tugged at a strand of my hair. "Juliette, what could I have possibly done wrong in the four days that you've been back at school?" I liked hearing him say my name, I don't know why but the way he said it was just different somehow.

"Oh, nothing." I finally replied with a little shrug, "I just like making you think you're in trouble." I laughed a little.

"You idiot." Draco sad, gently tugging my hair again. "Are you joining us for dinner tonight?"

I turned slightly so I could look at him, "No, I have plans." In fact I had a D.A meeting, even though Harry and I weren't speaking I still felt I should help those who needed it.

Draco pouted for a second, a look I'd never seen on his face before, "Plans with who?" He inquired but I just shrugged in reply. "Fine, don't tell me." He said moodily.

"Oh Draco, don't be like that." I turned fully round to face him, "I'll see you after? Just meet me here an hour after dinner has finished?" I suggested, he didn't look pleased about it but he agreed.

* * *

 _ **AN:** The fact that this has made it to seven chapters at all is a miracle in its self. I appreciate all the follows/favs this has got but I'd love some reviews, I need to know what you guys are thinking **~RainbowVeins**_


	8. Chapter 8

I'd spent the DA meeting teaching the students about the Disillusionment Charm and avoiding Harry which was hard to do when the room wasn't the biggest and his eyes were following me wherever I went. I found it easiest to just pretend he wasn't there and to turn to another student and comment on their technique if he tried to approach me. I also managed to be the first to slip out when the meeting was over, ignoring him when he called after me.

I didn't regret what I'd said to him, not really – perhaps a little but not enough for me to apologize for it. I walked down to the dungeons quickly, the sooner I arrived the sooner I could be with Draco and maybe he'd stop being so moody with me.

Draco wasn't in the common room when I arrived but I didn't think that was unusual, he could be petty about things and perhaps making me wait was his way of being just that. A couple of other student mingled around the common room, it was where most people spent their time after dinner and I felt a little stupid sat on the sofa by myself waiting for Draco.

He didn't show up after an hour and a half and I was beginning to think he wasn't coming at all when he strode into the common room, Pansy Parkinson trailing along next to him, her arm curled like a serpent around his. I thought I'd maybe fallen asleep waiting for him and that this was some ridiculous dream I was having but no, Draco Malfoy was stood willingly letting Pansy within touching distance.

"Oh nice of you to show up, Malfoy." I said standing up from the sofa and crossing my arms as he laughed at something Pansy had said. I was mad, though I had no right to be, I didn't own Draco and he could do whatever he pleased.

"Princess, do wipe that frown off your face," Draco said with his typical arrogance, "I'd hate for you to be stuck with that unfortunate expression." Pansy snickered to herself as she gazed up at Draco like he was the sun in the sky. I wanted to punch her in her pug nose.

"Draco, I'm going up to bed." The girl said in her whiney little voice, "I'll see you at breakfast in the morning?" Draco gave a non-committal reply and the leech wandered off to bed.

"I thought you couldn't stand that leech?" I asked accusingly as Draco wandered over to the bookshelf and selected a volume at random.

"Oh she's not so bad once you get to know her," He replied, flicking quickly throught he book he'd chosen before deeming it interesting enough and taking up his usual spot on the sofa. "We're in the inquisitorial squad together."

"Oh really, and do you let all the other members hang off of you like that?" I was being ridiculous, I knew that.

"You're jealous." Draco sid not looking up from his book, but I could see the triumphant little smirk on his face and before I could stop to think I'd plucked one of the emerald green cushions off of the sofa and smacked him over the head with it. He was on his feet faster than light and had me pressed up the wall near the fireplace.

"What was that for?" He asked angrily. He wasn't holding me tightly against the wall, or hurting me at all but it was more than a little annoying that he thought he could do whatever he liked with me.

"Let go of me!" I demanded but he didn't comply.

"You can't disappear for hours at a time and then get jealous when I spend time with other people." He said a little more gently, "That's not fair." He let me go but didn't step out of my way so I could move. "You could be anywhere, with anyone and you expect me to just accept that?"

"You're jealous." I said with a small laugh, "You're jealous that I'm not spending all my free time with you."

"So what if I am?" Draco said, a small redness creeping on to his cheeks. I reached up and swiped his overgrown hair out of his silver eyes.

"Trust me when I say I'd rather be with you but there are things I need to do that you can't be a part of. Things with Harry." I explained a little.

"You're part of his big plan, the one Umbridge has us trying to figure out." He guessed, I nodded.

"It's not as big as she thinks really, but I can't tell you anything about it." Draco nodded, I think he understood why I couldn't tell him but there was a look in his eyes that made me worry that I'd said too much.

We stood in silence, watching each other for a minute before Draco spoke again, "I don't want him dragging you into his danger, I need you to stay safe." I don't know how it happened but at some point Draco's fingers had found mine and they were now intertwined between us.

"I am safe," I promised, I wanted to kiss him, his face was only a little away from mine and all I had to do was stand up onto my toes to close that gap but I didn't dare, I didn't want to cross that line in case it wasn't what he wanted and it ruined the friendship we had, I knew he cared for me but I didn't want to guess at how much in case I was wrong.

He pulled away from me then taking with him the gentle warmth he'd had an leaving me cold again and disappointed. "So you're having breakfast with Parkinson, are you?" I asked changing the subject as he wandered back to the sofa, picking up his book from where it had fallen to the floor.

"Of course not, she's alright for a little but she's still a leech." He replied and took up his usual position on the sofa, making room for me to curl in beside him. I laughed a little and Draco began to read to me.

* * *

 _ **AN:** Half my time is spent writing filler chapters... **~RainbowVeins**_


	9. Chapter 9

"You should talk to him." Hermione told me one afternoon after a D.A meeting. I couldn't believe she was telling me what I should do, she had never even bothered to have a proper conversation with me before and I'd heard her saying unfriendly things about me on more than one occasion, tarnishing me with the same brush she used to paint all the Slytherins.

"And who are you to tell me what I should do?" I inquired, narrowing my eyes at her.

"His friend." She said firmly, "And as his friend, I'm worried about him. He's sorry about the way you think he treats you. It's crushed his spirit, he thinks he's made your life miserable but I'm sure you're quite capable of doing that yourself."

"Well at least I'm not an insufferable know-it-all who thinks she's on a higher level than everybody else but claims she's above discrimination against people." I said with a huff, collecting my bag and leaving the room of requirement. The door let out onto a different corridor than usual, Filch and the inquisitorial squad had found where we were training and had been doing their hardest to find a way in. I couldn't help but think Draco had followed me one afternoon to find out where we went.

I managed to make my way back to the normal corridor and walk up behind the group without much effort, "Are we eating dinner this evening Draco?" I asked loudly, startling the group who were studying the wall in hopes the door would appear.

"How did yo – Nevermind, yes we are." He replied, taking my arm and leaving Filch and the Inquisitorial squad staring at the wall in confusion.

"Did you follow me?" I asked as we made out way down for dinner,

"Yes," He replied and I was a little surprised but pleased with his honesty. "But before you get mad, it wasn't my idea. Pansy suggested we follow you and see if you lead us to Potter."

"It's okay," I told him, "You probably won't get in there anyway." I concluded and that was the end of the conversation, instead choosing to move on to more enjoyable topics.

* * *

A few months passed and Harry and I still weren't speaking but Draco and I were the center of most people's gossip. Though nothing had really happened between us – hand holding mostly, and only when we didn't think people were looking – that didn't stop the rumor mill from producing all kinds of stories. It was strange to be the center of attention for a change, even if it was all fabrication and stories.

"I heard a couple of first years whispering about us as I walked by the courtyard this morning," Draco said one afternoon while we were studying in the library, the O. were fast approaching and after the Easter Holidays next week they'd be all anyone had time for.

"Oh really?" I replied, not looking up from my potions textbook, "Anything interesting?" Draco shook his head, and got up to find another book from the shelves. Deciding I was done with potions I closed my book and followed Draco into the stacks. "Perhaps we could give them something true to talk about for a change?" I suggested nonchalantly, looking up at him for a second before wandering off into the maze of shelves. I was done waiting around for him to make a move, I was feeling a lot more confident with myself these days, I'd even stopped flattening my fringe every time it moved and let my scar show.

"Juliette, stop messing around." Draco called out and I heard the librarian shushing him from her desk on the other side of the library.

"Maybe you should come and find me?" I suggested back to him, earning my own shushing. I could hear footsteps approaching, even if he didn't want to play games, he'd play because I was. I found I liked to play games, especially when they were ones I always won and I was very good at hiding. I simply had to stay one step ahead of him among the shelves. I heard him turn down the next aisle over.

"Found you." He said and then let out a disappointed sigh when he realized he hadn't found me after all. I turned the next corner to meet him.

"You'll have to try hard than that," I said with a smirk to rival his own, twisting my long dark hair around my finger before disappearing off again.

This went on for a few minutes, the one thing about Draco that made this easy was his heavy footsteps, I could always tell where he was so when he managed to sneak up behind me and tap me on the shoulder it was understandable that I was more than a little startled.

"Found you," He declared as tried to stop myself from falling over from the surprise. I looked down at the floor to take a deep breath to steady myself when I noticed his sock clad feet, his shoes held in one hand. The little cheat had taken off his shoes to make his steps quieter.

"You cheated!" I faked astonishment, but couldn't help the grin on my face.

"Now about what you said earlier," Draco began.

"What about it?" I asked innocently but instead of receiving a reply, Draco wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me close to him, dropping his own shoes to the stone floor, his other hand wound its way up to the back of my head, his fingers tangling in the long mess of my hair as he kissed me. His lips were soft as I'd thought they would be and I was filled with warmth from head to toe. My own hands made their way up to his neck, wrapping around him and pulling him closer still. It was probably the shelves around us but I could of sworn Draco smelt like books and apples which were his preferred snack food. I didn't want it to end but when Madame Pince, the librarian cleared her throat behind me I knew we couldn't ignore it.

I could feel my face getting hot, mostly from being caught kissing by a teacher but a little from the actual kissing too.

"Ah, I guess we'll be off then." Draco said, his hand firmly clasping my own, fingers interlocked. The librarian watched us disapprovingly as Draco slipped his shoes back on to his feet and she followed us to the door to make sure we left. Once out of the library I couldn't help but laugh at the situation which set Draco off laughing too. We walked a little further down the corridor still laughing before Draco caught me again and we were continuing our interrupted kiss.

* * *

 _ **AN:** I dunno if this really fits in here but I just really wanted to write them kissing already... The fact that I've made it to chapter nine is seriously impressive for me. Gold Stars all round. **~RainbowVeins**_


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